Religious Freedom and Freedom of Speech
If the picture arouses a very negative
emotion, stand at the -5.
 Stand in between -5 and 0 for lesser
degrees of negative feelings.
 If the symbol arouses no emotion, stand
at the 0.
 If the picture arouses a very positive
emotion, stand at the +5.
 Stand in between 0 and +5 for lesser
degrees of positive feelings.

Yin & Yang
Daoism
Christmas Tree
Christianity
Crescent Moon &
Star
Islam
Dradle
Judais
m
Ganesh
Hinduis
m
Menorah
Judaism
Nativity Scene
Christianity
Star of David
Judaism
Crucifix
Christianit
y
10 Commandments
Judaism & Christianity






How did you feel viewing these symbols?
Did any of them offend you? Why or why not?
When and where might you expect to see
these symbols?
Where might a “strange” place be to see these
symbols?
If you saw these symbols placed together at
Maple Park, would that upset you? Why or why
not?
Would that violate “separation of church &
state?”

“Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or
◦ The Establishment Clause
◦ What does this mean?
Why was this right included in the BOR?
 From where do we get the phrase
“separation of church & state?”
 How has this right encouraged religious
diversity? Is that a good thing or a bad
thing? Discuss!

 Who
interprets the law?
 How did this right get applied to
the states? Discuss incorporation.
 How does the SCOTUS decide if a
violation exists?
 Discuss the Lemon test and
examples from homework.

prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
◦ The Free Exercise Clause
◦ What does this mean?
How is this different from the
Establishment clause?
 Why was this included in the BOR?

 Who
interprets the law?
 How does the SCOTUS decide
if a violation exists?
 Discuss the Neutrality test and
examples from homework.
 Watch
the video.
 Complete the assignment for p.
37 of notebook.
 Arguments for Lynch (Pawtucket)?
 Arguments for Donnelly (ACLU)?
 Your decision?
 SCOTUS Decision
In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court held that
notwithstanding the religious significance of the
crèche, the city had not violated the
Establishment Clause. The Court found that the
display, viewed in the context of the holiday
season, was not a purposeful or surreptitious
effort to advocate a particular religious message.
The Court found that the display merely
depicted the historical origins of the Holiday and
had "legitimate secular purposes." The Court
held that the symbols posed no danger of
establishing a state church and that it was "far
too late in the day to impose a crabbed reading
of the [Establishment] Clause on the country."
Source: The Oyez Project, Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668 (1984) available at:
(http://oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1983/1983_82_1256) (last visited Wednesday, July 29, 2009).



Read lesson 29 in the WHITE WTP book or
online on my website under the assignments
list as a .pdf file.
Complete the assignment for p. 38 of your
notebook.
Due tomorrow!